


masks, mistletoe, and the milky way

by hoeunki



Series: plum blossom and the orchid [7]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Astronomy, Christmas Party, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dancing, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mistletoe, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-06 06:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16827187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoeunki/pseuds/hoeunki
Summary: renjun's whisked off his feet by a dashing stranger at a masquerade party, but he completely forgets to ask for his name and his number.





	masks, mistletoe, and the milky way

**Author's Note:**

> big shoutout to that curiouscat anon who dropped me this prompt. i love you.

Renjun sat in his swivel chair, peering over a floor-plan that was spread over his entire desk. He cradled a cup of steaming hot cocoa in his left hand and twirled a pencil in his right. Glancing out the window, Renjun saw snowflakes fluttering gently in the wind. It had just began snowing a few days ago and he spent most of his time curled up in his bed, reading a book or watching a movie. 

His door slammed open but he didn’t flinch as Donghyuck burst in, eyes sparkling with excitement. His dorm-mate’s coat was covered in a thin layer of snow and Renjun reached for his meter stick, swinging it at him so that he didn’t move further into the room.

“Hey hey,” Renjun chided. “Don’t drip snow onto my floor.”

Donghyuck shrugged his outerwear off and tossed it behind him before he hopped over the meter stick and flopped down onto Renjun’s bed. Renjun rolled his eyes as Donghyuck reached for his big moomin plushie and hugged it.

“So, we finally got approval to hold a winter masquerade in the university hall! I’m so excited,” Donghyuck declared, beaming with joy. 

“Oh,” Renjun said, swivelling around to continue working. “That’s great, Hyuckie.”

Donghyuck and the rest of the arts clubs had been continuously working to get funding for a big Christmas party to hold after finals. Over the past two months, they had conducted interest checks around the campus and negotiated with some higher-ups to secure a proper venue. The whole thing started after Donghyuck and some of his performing arts friends had realised that the university hadn’t held a big Christmas event in ten years. 

Renjun was too preoccupied with researching paint prices online that he almost missed Donghyuck’s question.

“You’re coming, right?”

He paused, pencil hovering over the post-it note that he was writing on. This was the question he’d been dreading for the past couple of weeks as Donghyuck’s efforts started to gain results. Renjun was never one for big social gatherings, especially not ones that required formal wear. They tired him out too much, and he never really enjoyed himself either. He’d usually stay on the outer circles, munching on whatever snacks were available, or sticking to Chenle or Jaemin or someone else. Plus, there was something else that Renjun had been focusing his attention on lately.

“I can’t, Hyuckie. I’m sorry.” He glanced over his shoulder to see Donghyuck pouting sadly. He had his fingers pressing down the moomin’s ears to make it look like it was sad, too. 

Renjun sighed and gestured to the floor-plan and his laptop. “I don’t really have time this month to prep an outfit or anything because I want to complete this project before the end of the year.”

There was an old, run-down building behind the Physics block that the Astronomy and Astrophysics department used to hold seminars and small events in. When Renjun had gone on his first campus tour, he had fallen in love with the displays and the whole mysterious aura of the place. 

But recently, they had shut down the building. There was a new area that the university had opened up and no-one visited it anymore. It saddened Renjun to see his favorite place disappear, so he got permission from the heads of the Astronomy and Astrophysics departments to renovate the largest room, the planetarium, all by himself. All the costs would be covered by his own money. 

It was a daunting project, but Renjun was determined to make the place shine once more. One of his professors had mentioned that the number of people taking space-related majors was on a steady decline in the past years as well (Renjun had been greatly disappointed by that piece of news). 

He wanted people to appreciate and see the beauty of the mysteries of the universe, even if it meant taking matters into his own hands. 

Donghyuck hummed. “Is this the astrology thing?”

“Astronomy,” Renjun corrected. 

Donghyuck sighed and bit the inside of his cheek. After a bit of silence, he sighed. “Okay. But if you ever change your mind, just know that Jaemin and Chenle are more than willing to help you find an outfit.”

He sat up, ruffled Renjun’s hair, and exited the room. 

A feeling of guilt lingered for a moment, but Renjun buried it with a gulp of his drink, hissing as the scalding hot liquid burned his tongue. 

_ Karma _ .

  
  


The next few days were busy. It was exam season, and everywhere Renjun went he saw students hunched over open textbooks or neatly printed lecture notes. Renjun had only taken two modules that required finals, so he was pretty free. He spent most of his free time going to DIY and craft stores, sorting through paint chips, drawing out different arrangements of constellations, you name it. He even spent a whole afternoon vacuuming the dusty planetarium room. 

It was a Thursday afternoon when Renjun came home from one of his exams to find Donghyuck fiddling with a sewing machine on the dining table. His cardigan-clad boyfriend was sitting on the living room floor, writing something onto a pale blue banner with a silver marker. 

“What is happening?” he asked, closing the door with his foot. 

Donghyuck looked up and waved a piece of cloth at him. “I’m making bow ties. And before you ask, yes I did learn this from Taeyong. He’s like a walking WikiHow.” 

Mark looked up from his spot on the carpet. “Oh hey, Renjun! Don’t mind me, I’m just helping Duckie make decorations for the Christmas ball.”

Renjun walked over to Mark and looked down. The words ‘A Night  _ Yule _ Never Forget!’ were written faintly in pencil, and he was halfway done with outlining them. 

“Shouldn’t you guys be studying for your finals?” Mark and Donghyuk exchanged a glance and shrugged. 

“Well yeah,” Mark answered, “But we need to get this stuff done too because it’s happening right after exams are done for everyone.” 

Renjun was stunned. Both Mark and Donghyuck had at least twice the number of tests this semester than he did, yet they were still putting a hundred and twenty seven percent into making sure that the big Christmas event went well. He spotted a box in the corner of the room filled with decorations and noticed the rolls of fairy lights on the coffee table. 

A familiar prick of guilt and shame stung at Renjun’s sensitive heart. If they were spending all this time on this project, then surely he too could take one night off and support his best friend.

“Hey, Donghyuck?” 

“Mhm?”

Renjun stared as Mark rubbed the marker stains off his arms with a wet tissue. “I think… I think I’ll go to the masquerade thing.”

There was a loud clatter and a ‘shit!’ from behind him, and Renjun turned around to see Donghyuck sucking the tip of his finger. 

“Really?” he asked excitedly. 

Renjun gave him a noncommittal shrug. “Yeah, why not.”

Donghyuck squealed and reached for his phone. The look in his eyes as the person on the other end answered was enough to make Renjun nervous.

“Na Jaemin, get your ass over here. Renjun gave the green light.”

  
  


“I cancelled my date to do this, so I hope you realize how important this is.” 

Jaemin and Renjun sat on the steps of the Music building, waiting for a certain loud music major to finish his class. Jaemin was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a black turtleneck, and he had even styled his hair all nice. 

“I didn't really ask for you to cancel your booty call appointment, but thanks I guess.”

Jaemin choked at Renjun's choice of words. “It was not a  _ booty call _ . Jeno's cute and smart and he tells lame ass jokes and did I mention that he's super cute?”

“What kind of wack name is  _ Jeno-” _

“Hey ladies!” Chenle interrupted, sliding down in between the both of them. His pastel green locks peeked out from underneath a woolen hat. “I'm so excited to go shopping!”

Chenle was something of a shopping expert. He knew where to get cheap but stylish clothes, and he also knew where to get shoes that cost more than a year’s worth of university tuition. Renjun had also never seen Chenle study but the kid somehow managed to maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA. He was something of an enigma.

The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting a bunch of fancy stores and upscale boutiques. Renjun insisted that he was fine with renting out a secondhand suit, but Jaemin and Chenle were adamant about buying him something nice to wear. 

“Only the best for the best,” Chenle declared.

“Even it it means more crippling college debt,” Jaemin added. Renjun wasn’t so sure how true that last statement was. 

After much walking, debating, and many many suit jackets and scratchy ties (all the twirling he did made him feel as though he were in one of those movie montages), Renjun finally settled on a dark, emerald-colored cashmere suit. 

“Wow,” Chenle whistled as Renjun stepped out of the changing room. “You look like a modern day Peter Pan!”

Renjun checked himself out in the mirror, turning this way and that to see how he looked. The pants weren’t too short and the sleeves didn’t make him look like he was drowning. In fact, dare Renjun say it, he looked pretty damn good. 

Jaemin handed his credit card over to the employee, beaming like a proud father. “We’ll take it!”

  
  


In the days leading up to the masquerade, Renjun spent his time cooped up in the old planetarium. It was lonely at times, painting the walls and singing to Christmas songs by himself, but he didn’t really mind. Renjun was the type of person who preferred a peaceful environment.

When he got tired, he would take breaks and sketch out ideas for his mask. Something green and maybe black, to match his outfit. He considered adding feathers for a good five seconds before he scrapped the idea. Minimalist was the way to go.

Renjun also met Jaemin’s new boyfriend, Jeno. He found him cooking in the dorm kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to find that Jeno was much more sensible than Jaemin’s previous flings. The four of them (including Donghyuck) spent an evening together, crafting their masks on the living room floor. 

Donghyuck seemed to be in an especially good mood. Even though he pulled multiple all-nighters cramming for his finals, he was constantly bright and sunny whenever Renjun saw him. It was probably the effects of seeing his efforts bear fruit after so long. Seeing the smile on his face told Renjun that he had made the right decision to go. 

  
  


On the day of the Christmas masquerade, Donghyuck had left a note on the dining table saying that he’d be busy with last minute preparations and that he’d see the other two at the party. Chenle came over to the dorm in the afternoon, wearing a clean white suit and sporting freshly dyed blonde hair. Renjun picked at his own hair; he had been planning to go to the salon because his roots were starting to show but he never got around to doing so. 

Chenle took out his mask and showed it off proudly. Most of it was painted white, but it had navy blue swirls lining the edges and a ribbon flower on the left side. “Jisung’s one is painted the opposite way. We’re matching!”

Jaemin cooed. “That’s adorable!” His own mask was black and gold, a stylish piece inspired by the ones worn at Venetian carnivals. With his black suit, bow tie, and golden cufflinks, Jaemin looked like a rich young master who owned three mansions and a private helicopter.

Renjun changed into his own suit. He combed his hair up and fitted his mask onto his face -- it had brown and white accents that made him look like a forest creature. 

Jeno showed up in a plum-colored suit, a silver mask covering the left side of his face. The moment he stepped into the hallway, Jaemin began fawning over how dashing he looked. Renjun felt a little left out when he realised that he was the only one without a date, but the feeling quickly disappeared. It was his choice to be off the dating scene since his last failed relationship, after all. 

Chenle quickly herded the rest of them out of the apartment, not wanting to keep Jisung waiting all by himself. As the walked to the big university hall, Renjun spotted other students in suits and dresses, some with fancy, full-face masks and others with simple store bought ones. They all seemed to be buzzing with excitement about the masquerade.

“Wow,” Renjun whispered to Chenle. “I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was.”

Chenle smiled. “Yeah! The arts clubs really hyped it up a lot. Bet you’re glad you decided to come instead of collecting dust in that old building, right?”

Renjun flicked his arm. “Brat.”

To be honest, Renjun still wasn’t sure how he felt about attending. He’d never been to a big dance before, much less a masquerade. He couldn’t just stick to Jaemin or Chenle the whole evening; they had people they wanted to dance with. And making small talk with strangers? That was definitely  _ not _ on the list of things he wanted to do.

Renjun’s musings were interrupted as he and his friends stepped foot into the hall. Someone on his left gasped, and Renjun’s eyes widened as he took in the sight around him. 

Blue and white curtains draped against the tall windows, and golden fairy lights twinkled around the entire perimeter of the room. The tables were pushed to the edges to make space for the dancefloor, and each table had a faux ice sculpture as a centerpiece, as well as battery powered candles that flickered for good effect. From the ceiling hung handmade icicles and snowflakes, and for a moment Renjun felt as though he had entered another realm. 

A figure came barreling towards them, catching Renjun and Jaemin in an aggressive hug. 

“You guys look amazing!” Donghyuck grinned.

Compared to the cool tones of the decorations, Donghyuck stood out in his blazing scarlet suit. He had an elaborate, art deco style mask perched on his nose and a tiny poinsettia brooch on his lapel. His whole outfit was so incredibly  _ Donghyuck _ that Renjun had no trouble identifying him at all. 

“You guys really outdid yourselves,” Jeno said, patting Donghyuck on the back. 

The tanned boy chuckled and flipped his hair. “Thank you, darling. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some emceeing duties to take care of. Enjoy!”

More people trickled in, and all of a sudden the room felt much too cramped for Renjun’s liking. Chenle had already evaporated into thin air, leaving him alone with the couple. Not wanting to intrude on their alone time, Renjun glanced around for a chair.

“I’m gonna take a seat over on that side,” he told Jaemin, and squeezed through the crowd to sit down. 

Renjun watched as Donghyuck stepped up on the platform at the front of the room and welcomed everyone in. Most of what he was saying faded to background noise as he started up the music and let people do their own thing. Renjun took his phone out of his pocket and began scrolling through Twitter like the antisocial person he was. Occasionally, he would glance up and observe the people attempting to waltz across the floor. 

Approximately thirty minutes passed before Renjun got bored. He already paid a visit to the food table and tried all the eclairs and pastries, so there was nothing else he particularly wanted to do. 

“Maybe I should go back to the dorm,” he mumbled to himself. 

But of course, like the good friend he was, Renjun decided that he should at least be polite and find Donghyuck to tell him that he was going. He thought that it would be easy to find Donghyuck amongst the mass of bodies, but there were other people wearing red suits as well. All the girls had worn heels, making it difficult for Renjun to see anything over their heads. 

He was so preoccupied with analysing the masks that he ended up bumping into someone by the food table. Renjun whirled around to apologize and the person began to choke. They dropped the little appetizer they were holding and began to cough.

Mild panic began to build up in Renjun but he quickly snatched a glass from a passing girl and shoved it in the guy’s hand. “Drink this!” 

He took the beverage from Renjun, downed the fruit punch in three big gulps, and slammed the empty glass onto the table with a force enough to rattle all the plates. He gasped and beat against his chest a few times before standing up straight. 

“I’m so sorry,” Renjun said, bowing profusely. Donghyuck would’ve straight up blown a fuse if he found out that Renjun had ruined his party by murdering an innocent bystander. 

“It’s okay,” said a deep voice, one that instantly caught Renjun’s attention. “I probably shouldn’t have been trying to stuff my face with multiple hors d'oeuvres.”

It was only then that Renjun took a good look at his almost-victim and his mouth instantly started feeling dry.

He was wearing a burgundy suit with a white shirt that was buttoned up halfway; a bit of his chest was visible and Renjun could see how toned he was. Renjun noticed how the material of his jacket stretched a little tight over his biceps too.

_ Damn _ . 

Renjun must’ve been blatantly ogling because the guy’s lips twitched into a small smirk. He offered a hand to Renjun and bowed. 

“Do you want to dance?” the stranger asked, and when Renjun hesitated, he grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. 

Renjun stumbled, nearly tripping on a girl’s floor-length gown. “I was looking for my friend, actually-”

“Just one dance?” asked the boy, pleading silently with his eyes. He was wearing grey contacts, Renjun noticed. “It’s the least you could do for nearly killing me.”

Renjun swallowed. A handsome stranger was really offering to dance with him. He looked around at the other couples dancing around them. A guy beside them lifted his partner up and her dress billowed out as they spun. Everyone  _ did _ seem to be having fun. One little dance couldn’t hurt, right?

“Sure,” he answered. 

The masked man merely smiled, and it made Renjun’s insides feel all funny. His eyes went wide as the guy lifted his hand up to kiss it. The feeling of his plump lips made Renjun’s skin tingle.

A large hand made its way onto his waist. It was warm, a good warmth that Renjun mused would be nice to cuddle into. He felt tiny in the man’s hold; his fingers curled around his side easily and his shoulders were much broader than his own. To top it all off, he was tall as hell and Renjun had to tilt his head up to look at him properly. 

“By the way,” he said, lacing their fingers together, “I don’t know how to waltz.”

Renjun couldn’t help smiling as he placed a tentative hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Guess that makes two of us.”

The grey-eyed man took a slow step backwards and Renjun attempted to follow, watching their feet carefully. He led them with careful confidence, mirroring the other couples’ movements. 

After a few toe tramples and apologies, they got their momentum, stepping and gliding in perfect harmony. The taller man tried to twirl Renjun at one point but Renjun nearly stabbed his foot as he pivoted. They laughed together as he caught Renjun by the waist.

The man was a charmer for sure. Renjun could tell by his smooth way of talking, his flirty winks and comments. Yet, Renjun didn't feel put-off or uncomfortable at all. In fact, he kind of liked it. He was easy to talk to and genuinely seemed interested in what Renjun had to say. They talked about TV shows, favorite animals, their friends, opinions on the complementary breadsticks, you name it. Renjun was completely enamored with this handsome stranger, practically hypnotized by his brilliant smile and boyish laugh. 

One dance turned into two, and then three, and it wasn't long before Renjun lost track of time. Donghyuck's voice crackled over the speakers and announced that it was time for a snowball dance.

“You know the drill, ladies and gays! We'll start with a pair in the center and every time I say snowball, they have to split up and grab another partner until we're all dancing together. I'll be starting it off with my very own boyfriend, Canada’s pride, Maaark Lee!”

Whoops and whistles echoed around the room as Mark stepped out of the crowd, dressed to the nines in a baby pink suit and a mask to match. He had a poinsettia pin identical to Hyuck's that he wore on the opposite lapel.

Mark took Donghyuck's hand and they danced around the center of the room, staring sweetly into each other's eyes. After a minute or so, Donghyuck yelled ‘snowball!’ and pecked Mark on the cheek before grabbing a random girl to dance with him. 

A couple of rounds passed before someone offered a hand to Renjun, and he glanced back at the man in burgundy. 

“Save me one last dance!” he shouted, as he too was whisked away by another stranger. Renjun danced with a few people before he found himself dancing with none other than Mark Lee.

“Renjun! Nice to see you. I almost didn't recognize you earlier when I saw you dancing with that tall dude.”

Renjun adjusted his mask. “Oh, you saw us?”

Mark nodded, maneuvering them both away from another duo. “Yep. You guys were smiling and giggling and shit. Kinda cute, if you ask me.”

His words stirred up a giddy sensation in Renjun's stomach, but before he could dwell on it, the music stopped. He thanked Mark for the dance and went to fetch himself a drink. His feet hurt - he hadn't realised how much dancing he had done.

Renjun exited onto the balcony, shivering as the cold weather hit his skin. There was no snow today, just the way he liked it. Renjun looked out at the quiet campus, at the dim lights in the distant windows. He was actually enjoying himself tonight, and it was all thanks to that mysterious gentleman.

The door creaked open behind him and a familiar voice spoke. “I thought I saw you heading out here.” 

Renjun turned around to see the man in burgundy smiling shyly at him as he closed the door. Christmas music filtered through the small gap under the glass. 

“You… came after me?” Renjun stared down at his shoes. 

The guy chuckled and took a step closer. “Well, I wanted to say thank you for dancing with me. I had a really good time.”

Renjun put his cup on the edge of a potted plant. “Me too,” he responded quietly. “I was actually going to leave when I bumped into you.”

The taller male stopped in front of Renjun, placing a careful hand on his waist. When Renjun looked up into the grey contacts, he could see his eyes glimmering with the reflection of the night. Renjun instinctively wrapped his arms around the guy's neck as he moved closer, trapping him against the railing. 

“I'm glad you decided to stay,” he murmured. Renjun watched the way his gaze dropped to his lips. His heart thrummed with a nervous excitement as they both leaned in.

“Is this okay?” the stranger asked, breath ghosting over Renjun's mouth. 

Renjun closed his eyes. “Of course.”

He expected it, but he couldn't help but gasp softly as thick lips captured his own in a saccharine kiss. 

The large hands moved to the small of Renjun's back, holding him close as they kissed against the edge of the balcony. Renjun licked across the guy's lips, humming with satisfaction as he opened his mouth and let their tongues mold against each other.

It had been so long since anyone had held Renjun like this, kissed him like this, made him feel so  _ happy _ . Maybe it was the masks and the atmosphere, but Renjun felt like he was finally living one of his fantasy romance dreams, complete with his prince charming and everything. Said prince surely knew how to kiss well, because Renjun was getting increasingly dizzier with every little tug of teeth on his lower lip.

Renjun was in the middle of running his hands along the stranger's firm chest when his phone rang and interrupted the moment. He pulled away, breathless, and answered the phone quickly. 

“H-hello?”

“Nana had some allergic reaction,” Donghyuck was panicking on the other end. “I can't leave so I need you to take him to the hospital.”

“Shit,” Renjun swore. “Okay, I'll be right there.”

He hung up and looked up into confused grey eyes. “I have to go, I'm so sorry.” Renjun tiptoed up for one last kiss before opening the door. “Thank you for everything!”

His dance partner seemed to want to say something, but Renjun never got to hear it as he disappeared into the throng of people. Near the entrance of the ballroom he found Jeno carrying Jaemin on his back. 

“Sorry,” Jaemin coughed. 

Renjun rolled his eyes and called a taxi. “It's fine. Be more careful next time.”

“Where were you?” questioned Jeno as they stood in the elevator. “I didn't see you the whole night.”

“Oh, I was with… um…”

It was only then as they descended the stairs and climbed into the car was Renjun struck with the horrifying revelation that not once, in the entire night of dancing with him, had he ever asked for his partner's name. 

They had laughed, danced, and kissed, but Renjun didn't even know what to call him.

“A friend,” Renjun finished lamely. When he glanced out the window, he thought he saw a flash of burgundy by one of the balconies. 

But he was probably just imagining it.

  
  


“You mean to tell me that you had your tongue down his throat and you don't even know his  _ name _ ?” 

Donghyuck was sitting on the dining table in nothing but his boxers and one of Mark's hoodies. Jaemin was slumped on the sofa, texting Jeno. The doctor had given him some medication to take last night and Renjun had brought him home. 

Renjun flipped a pancake. “I mean when you put it like that, you make me sound terrible.”

Donghyuck waved his fork around. “You  _ are _ a terrible person! Kissing a super hot stranger and not getting his name or number? I expected better from you, Injun.”

“Was he a good kisser though?” Jaemin's voice floated over from the couch. 

Renjun blushed as memories of their kiss came flooding into his mind. If he focused hard enough, he could still feel the lingering touch of warm fingers on his skin.

“He's blushing!” Donghyuck screeched. “Huang Renjun is blushing!”

Jaemin sat up with a dramatic gasp. “Do my ears deceive me? We _have_ to find your mystery casanova, ASAP.”

Renjun sighed, sliding the pancake onto a plate and placing the pan in the sink. “It's not a big deal, guys. It was just some one night fling.”

And who was he kidding? He didn't even know how the guy actually looked like because his face was half hidden by a mask the whole night. Renjun didn't even know his major, so it wasn't like he could go to his building and lurk around.

Jaemin deflated, pouting like a child. “Aw man.”

Donghyuck crossed his arms. “I'm still gonna keep an eye out.” Renjun knew there was nothing he could do to stop him. Once Donghyuck was set on something, he never gave up. 

  
  


Days passed, and Renjun went back to his regular schedule of working at the planetarium. It had begun to snow harder and he often had to trudge along blankets of snow to get back to his dorm. The mystery man became a distant thought, but there were nights where he would dream of grey eyes and pretty teeth. 

Once, he had been sitting in a coffee shop with Chenle and Jisung when he thought he heard the man’s voice. Renjun immediately stood up but the only thing he saw was a flutter of a coat as someone exited the store. He thought about going to chase after them, but decided against it. He was probably just being delusional. Still, Renjun couldn’t help himself from looking up at every tall guy that walked his way. 

Since it was the Christmas holidays, most of the students went home to visit their families. Renjun wasn’t flying back this year as he was going to visit in Spring when his cousin got married. Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung and Jeno had all gone back to their respective hometowns, leaving Renjun alone with Donghyuck and Mark. 

Donghyuck was cooking dinner when he brought it up again. “Maybe you’ll run into him now. The campus is pretty empty.” 

Renjun remembered the thick accent that the stranger spoke with. He was definitely foreign. “I don’t think so. He’s probably gone to visit his family.” 

Mark, bless his soul, had already tried to ask around to see if anyone knew of Renjun’s mystery man, but his efforts were futile as Renjun only had limited information to describe him. Even Donghyuck had gone on an extensive social media search to find something, anything at all, but got zero results. It was almost as if Renjun had dreamed him up, a figment of his imagination that disappeared with the melting snow. 

As the both of them curled up on the couch with their bowls of pad thai and an old chick flick playing on the television, Renjun wondered if he was ever going to find the attractive boy with the endearing laugh. 

  
  


It was a cloudy afternoon when Mark invited Renjun and Donghyuck to a Christmas potluck being held by his dorm hall on the 25th for all the people left on campus. Not having anything better to do, the both of them agreed to go. Renjun and Donghyuck spent the night before the event baking lemon cupcakes with red and green icing to bring down to the party.

Donghyuck dragged Renjun down to the venue an hour before the scheduled starting time to help decorate the place. Mark tasked Renjun with arranging the food and as he spoke, Renjun spotted Donghyuck discreetly tying mistletoe to a doorframe by the kitchen. Donghyuck giggled, hopped down from the chair, and sauntered away before Mark even noticed. 

As people began to arrive with more food, Renjun greeted them all and helped to lay out the now-overflowing table. The atmosphere was similar to a regular house party, albeit with less alcohol and more jolly Christmas music. Renjun even chatted to some people he hadn’t seen in awhile, catching up on gossip and the latest relationship news. 

Donghyuck approached him with a mouthful of ham. “The food is so good,” he gushed. Renjun plucked a grape from his friend’s plate and popped it into his mouth. 

“Yeah? I haven’t tried it ye  — oh shit.” 

Renjun caught sight of a familiar mop of blonde hair and telltale freckles from across the room.

“It’s  _ Felix _ ,” he hissed, hiding himself behind Donghyuck. 

Donghyuck glanced behind him and snorted. “Hasn’t he been trying to get back with you?” 

Felix was Renjun’s last boyfriend. They had dated for about five months in their freshman year of university, but Renjun broke it off because he wasn’t really into him. He was kind, sweet, and funny, but he just wasn’t what Renjun was looking for. Recently, he’d been making attempts to text Renjun via Facebook but Renjun had yet to open their chat, hoping that Felix would get  _ his _ message.

“Oh damn I think I made eye contact with him,” Donghyuck warned. “You should go before he comes this way.”

It was times like these that Renjun was thankful for his small build as he slipped into the crowd, edging his way through conversations and around bodies. 

“Renjun?” came the deep, Australian-accented voice from somewhere over the noise. Renjun ignored him and pushed his way to the kitchen.

“Please leave me alone, please leave me alone,” he muttered to himself. 

A glint of red and green caught his eye, and Renjun looked up to see the mistletoe that Donghyuck had hung. There was a tall person standing underneath it with his back to Renjun, but he had a plate of what looked like cream puffs in his hands. 

Renjun hesitated, but the longer he stood there the more he feared that Felix would find him and corner him with a very unpleasant conversation. 

“Fuck this,” he whispered, marching up to the guy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Felix again. 

He snatched the plate out of the dude’s hand and tossed it onto a nearby chair. “I’m so sorry about this,” he said, reaching up and cupping the taller boy’s face.

“Wha-” 

Renjun shut him up with an open-mouthed kiss. The cream puff that the guy was eating melted into his mouth, and Renjun could faintly taste some of the peppermint hot chocolate that Mark had made. There was something familiar about the way his kissed but Renjun’s mind was hazy, lost in the deliciousness of the cream and mint on his tongue. 

And then it clicked. 

Renjun’s eyes went wide as he drew back. “Holy shit! You’re — ”

“The guy from the masquerade,” finished the other man with a laugh. “Fancy seeing you here.”

He was breathtakingly handsome. Large, brown eyes and cropped hair, an earring dangling from his left ear. Renjun felt strong arms winding around his waist, bringing him closer. He ran a hand through Renjun’s hair.

“You dyed it dark,” he commented. “I like it.”

Renjun smiled. “Thanks. I kinda miss your contacts, though.”

There was no sign of Felix anymore, and Renjun sighed in relief. He wound his arms around the stranger’s neck and stroked his hair tenderly. “I never got your name, by the way.” 

“Lucas,” he smiled down at Renjun. “Lucas Wong. And you are?”

“Huang Renjun,” he greeted. Internally, he laughed at the incredulity of the whole situation. What were the odds that he’d find the same guy at another party, pigging out on snacks again? Fate was a funny thing, indeed.

“Renjun,” Lucas brushed a stray hair from Renjun's eyes. “Gosh, I couldn't get you out of my head for the past weeks.” 

The concept of this gorgeous guy being smitten with him made Renjun's head spin just a tiny bit. He was sure of the blush spreading across his face but he smiled anyway, tightening his hold on Lucas so that his face inched closer. 

“Kiss me again?” Renjun whispered.

Lucas’ eyes sparkled mischievously as he pressed their foreheads together. The chattering conversations and Christmas ballads blurred into white noise as Renjun focused his attention on the sound of Lucas’ heartbeat.

“Wish granted, my angel.”

  
  


Renjun kept his hand on Lucas’ eyes as he led him down the hallway. Lucas gripped Renjun’s wrist tightly, holding an arm out and feeling the walls as he moved blindly. Renjun’s heart was beating fast; he was so eager to show Lucas what he had been laboring over for the past few months now that it was finally complete. 

When they reached the room, Renjun fumbled for the keys before he unlocked the door. He guided Lucas in and positioned him near the center of the room before taking his hand off. “Ta-da!”

Lucas’ jaw dropped in astonishment. “Injun…”

Renjun had painted the entire room a deep, midnight blue. His favorite constellations were drawn all around the domed ceiling and in the middle of the room sat a detailed model of the solar system. With the help of Jeno, an engineering major, Renjun had also fixed up the telescope that stuck out of the wall 

“Wait, wait,” Renjun ran towards the light switch. “Look.”

He flicked it off, and Lucas exclaimed in wonder as each individual star on Renjun's constellations lit up. 

“The wiring was a pain in the ass, but I think it turned out really well.” 

He moved over to stand next to Lucas, who slipped their fingers together as they stared up at the artificial sky. 

“It's beautiful,” Lucas commented, turning towards Renjun. “But why did you bring me here?”

Renjun smiled, and reached to slide Lucas’ coat off. He folded it and placed it on the table, then did the same to his own jacket. Lucas watched curiously as Renjun started to play some classic music on his phone. 

Renjun took a breath and put his palms on Lucas’ shoulders. He looked up with a timid smile. 

“You told me to save you a dance, remember?”

The blush that spread across Lucas’ cheeks glowed a pretty hue of red under the light of the stars. He positioned his hands on Renjun’s hips. His touch was gentle and warm, seeping through the thin material of his sweater like drops of syrup on a pancake. They began to sway slowly to the melody, feet moving in effortless synchronization.

“You’re so pretty,” Lucas murmured. Renjun flushed at the compliment. He had discovered that Lucas loved to catch him off-guard with little comments, often following them up with cheeky kisses.

Renjun gave a light squeeze to the boy’s shoulders and turned his head bashfully. “Shut up.”

Long fingers grasped his chin, tilting his face up for a delicate kiss. When Lucas pulled away, there was a look in his eyes that Renjun could only describe as being full of love. It made Renjun’s heart leap to the outer reaches of the galaxy and back.

He lifted a hand to Lucas’ cheekbone, caressing it gently with his knuckles. Renjun smiled fondly as Lucas leaned into his touch. 

“I was actually really bummed about not going home for winter break this year,” Renjun admitted as Lucas twirled him. “But you know, I think this Christmas was the best one I’ve ever had in a long time.”

Lucas lifted Renjun with ease, never once taking his eyes off him. 

“Well,” he whispered, grinning with a light that rivalled all of the stars above, “I hope we’ll spend many more Christmases together. Each one better than the last.”

Renjun laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”

It was so easy for Renjun to lose track of time whenever he was with Lucas. He supposed there was just something about him, something magnetic and alluring that captivated Renjun to no end.

He leaned his head against Lucas’ chest, letting the taller boy guide their movements. Across the Milky Way they danced, past Ursa Minor and beneath Andromeda, circling around Orion and Cassiopeia. Renjun had spent a lot of time in his life looking at star clusters and moons and nebulae, thinking that he'd never find something as stunning as them on this planet. And maybe it was too soon to call it love, but Renjun knew that the warmth blossoming in his heart was, without a doubt, the beginning of something extraordinarily beautiful. 

They spent the rest of the day there, laughing and dancing, just the two of them. 

Renjun and Lucas, in their own little universe. 

**Author's Note:**

> merry early christmas! i wrote this as a present to the yukren/luren nation to say thank you for supporting all of my fics over these past few months. i hope to see this tag flourishing with new fics next year! happy holidays <3
> 
> (tell me what you thought of this uwu)
> 
> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/takadactyl)


End file.
